Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-11-05
PRESIDENTIAL yETOES.
They Arc of Much More Frequency Than
Formerly

Reviewing the past, says Governor Long
in the Forum for November, 1t is not easy
to find instances where veto has worked
anything approaching irreparable harm,
or where the President exercising it may
not be regarded as acting in harmony with
his convictions and political principles
! certainly with his sincere prejudices On
the other hand Grants opportune veto of
the Senate currency bill was one of the
essential steps in that splendid financial
policy which saved the nation from the
perils of irredeemable paper money and
strengthened its credit beyond all prece-
dent in history. Seven times did Presi-
dent Hayes, one of the least popular aud
most meritorious of the presidential line,
interpose his veto when Congress, with
hostile majority, undertook to starve the
Executive into submission by insisting on
accompanying every appropriation for the
maintenance OF the Government with riders
removing the safeguards that had been
thrown around elections in the recon-
structed Southern States. These vetoes,
like Andrew Johnson's veto Of the tenure
of civil Office bill, which became law not
withstanding his objections, are interest
ing examples of what the trainers regarded
as the first and most important function
of the veto, to wit, resistance to the en-
croachments of the legislative power-a
power against which they, mindful of the
tyranny of majorities, especially attempted
to guard, by resorting to all sorts Of checks,
such as two congressional branches differ
ing in their constituencies, numbers and
lengths of TERMS such also as the iuris-
diction of the Supreme Court over cases
arising lInIar Tho Cnnc{itn+;o,, o,,l lou, -
the United States, and especially by lodg-
ing limited veto in the President.
1t is a power which is likely to be exer-
cised more and more freely than at first.
The delicacy with which the early Presi-
dents resorted to it is thing of the past.
Even grim Jackson pales before johnson,
his brother Tennessean, in the number and
obstinacy Of his vetoes. The latter, also
Hayes, Grant and Arthur, exercised the
! power freely, and all on the broadcast DOS
sible grounds-often ON the bold ground
that there was "no necessity for" the
measure proposed; again, as when there
was question Of the admission of Colorado
or Nebraska as State, that the time had
not come when for the people of the Terri
| tory its admission was wise, not in their
opinion, but the Presidents; or again, that
the proposed bill was injurious to the bank
ing system. As the business of the coun-
try increases, as legislation piles up its
bills still higher, and as the whole social
and political network grows more compIi-
Gated in its demands and conflict of inter-
ests and its multiplicity of differences, more
and more will be the necessity of cutting
Gordian knots with the swift, sharp edge
of single blow, and of having an Execu-
tive brave enough to take the responsible
ity of interposing his veto in order to Sc
cure the sober second legislative thought,
yet wise enough to do so only when the
essential interests of the people justify the
welding of so keen weapon, but not its
dulling with too frequent use in cutting
stubble.